TL Hanna players gather before the game. Hanna eventually defeated Hillcrest 53-42 during the first round of Class AAAAA state playoffs at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna players gather before the game. Hanna eventually defeated Hillcrest 53-42 during the first round of Class AAAAA state playoffs at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna junior Taylor Grace Scott(12) and TL Hanna freshman Dro Lee(42) reach for a ball near Hillcrest senior Alexis Hargrove during the first quarter at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna junior Maleia Bracone(24) and TL Hanna junior Azariah Thomas(21) reach for a loose ball playing Hillcrest during the first quarter at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna junior Maleia Bracone(24) and TL Hanna junior Azariah Thomas(21) reach for a loose ball playing Hillcrest during the first quarter at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna junior Carmen Chandler(5) is introduced before the game. Hanna defeated Hillcrest 53-42 during the first round of Class AAAAA state playoffs at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna junior Taylor Grace Scott(12) is introduced before the game. Hanna defeated Hillcrest 53-42 during the first round of Class AAAAA state playoffs at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna sophomore Alexis Glover(23) is introduced before the game. Hanna defeated Hillcrest 53-42 during the first round of Class AAAAA state playoffs at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna junior Maleia Bracone(24) is introduced before the game. Hanna defeated Hillcrest 53-42 during the first round of Class AAAAA state playoffs at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna junior Maleia Bracone(24) is introduced before the game. Hanna defeated Hillcrest 53-42 during the first round of Class AAAAA state playoffs at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna freshman Dro Lee(42) is introduced before the game. Hanna defeated Hillcrest 53-42 during the first round of Class AAAAA state playoffs at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

TL Hanna junior Azariah Thomas(21) shoots near her coach TL Hanna head coach Glenn Elrod playing Hillcrest during the fourth quarter at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday. Ken Ruinard / staff

Before this basketball season, T.L. Hanna guard Maleia Bracone compiled a list of goals that she wanted to accomplish.

She wanted to score her 1,000th career point, which she did in November. She wanted to help the Yellow Jackets make the Class AAAAA playoffs, which they have. Her third goal was to help them win a home playoff game, which happened Tuesday night when they defeated Hillcrest 53-42, thanks in part to her 21-point performance.

“It was just a matter of moving the ball and getting open shots,” Bracone said. “My 3’s kind of helped us build up that lead.”

In the first quarter, Bracone scored 13 points, which included two 3-point baskets and a three-point play to spark the Yellow Jackets to a 17-5 lead.

TL Hanna junior Maleia Bracone(24) shoots around Hillcrest junior Ayonnah Harris during the third quarter at T.L.Hanna High School in Anderson on Tuesday.(Photo11: Ken Ruinard / staff)

“She just does a little of everything,” said T.L. Hanna coach Glenn Elrod. “She helps us tremendously on defense by getting her steals and the converting layups on the other end and knocking down shots. She was big tonight and wanted this.”

Hanna (19-6) will play in the second round Friday night at Nation Ford (22-5), which defeated Greenwood 63-21 on Tuesday.

The Rams reduced the Yellow Jackets' lead to two at 23-21 in the second period, but the Yellow Jackets scored the final 10 points of the half – including seven by Alexis Glover – to take a 12-point lead. That lead held up, despite the best efforts of the Rams.

“We decided to get in our full court press,” Elrod said. “Glover, (Carmen) Chandler and Bracone are so long and use their length and we got several steals back-to-back that we converted. That gave us a lot of momentum going into the second half."

Elrod and his staff knew the Rams would come out fighting in the second half, and he told his team it would have to answer the challenge. The Yellow Jackets managed to do that, thanks to five of Bracone’s seven steals and seven rebounds, as well as 11 rebounds by freshman Dro Lee.

“We are so long with our arms and I guess they got nervous and when we pressured they got nervous and we forced the steals," Bracone said.

“That’s a typical stat line for Maleia,” Elrod said. “She really came out, and the girls rallied around her to get the home playoff win we’ve wanted.”

While she can now wipe the home playoff win from her long list of goals, she will focus on yet another goal: making it past the second round of the playoffs, unlike the past two seasons when the Yellow Jackets fell to Clover and Wade Hampton.

“It was a blessing to win tonight, and I think that advantage helped us pull it through,” Bracone said. “We just have to prepare and play defense for the next opponent.”

Nation Ford is a challenge that the Yellow Jackets will embrace.

“We know that the quality of the opponent will increase because of round two,” Elrod said. “They are a 20-win team, and we will have to go on the road and carry some of the momentum from tonight.”

If that happens, Bracone may be able to check off another few items remaining on her list.